The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (or Hague Adoption Convention) is a critical piece international convention which is designed to protect children and eradicate child trafficking.
The United Kingdom became a signatory and implemented the Hague Convention on 01 June 2003. If a British national undertook an international adoption after this date then the adoption had to be under the Hague Convention. Failure to do so meant that the child would not be eligible for British citizenship or even a visa - families could end up being separated by borders, oceans and red tape.
So what happens to those British parents who undertook an international adoption before 01 June 2003. Well that child would not automatically be British - you would have to have registered the child as British, a process which can take several months, before the child could enter the UK (and before the child turned 18). If the child turns 18 before they can be registered then any claim to citizenship may be permanently lost.
The Hague Convention on adoption is a very important instrument but regrettably it is used by the Home Office as a vicious tool when it comes to British citizenship. Our nationality law needs to be reformed so as to prevent harsh distinctions between children adopted pre and post- 01 June 2003.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-adoptive-families-are-very-concerned-300936959.htmlThe most important criteria for international adoption is Hague accreditation. In the United States, international adoptions should be processed through a Hague accredited adoption agency to prevent abduction, sale, and trafficking of children. This is a rigorous accreditation process to protect the integrity of the adoption process.